Showing results for que
See entry for:
- qué
que
that
A conjunction that connects two parts of a sentence
Encoding Strategies:
repetition
The most useful translation for que is that, because nearly every way it's used connects back to a single idea: connecting one part of a sentence to another0.
que
that (conjunction)
Connects a statement to some further information about that statement.
- Espero que tengas un buen día = I hope that you have a good day
- Creo que está lloviendo = I think that it's raining
that, which, who
Connects a noun to a description of that noun.
- El café que me gusta = The coffee that I like
- El chico que vive al lado = The guy who lives next door (The guy _that_ lives next door)
because, since (giving a reason)
Connects a statement to the reason behind it. "Because" is really just "it's that..."
- No salgas, que está lloviendo = Don't go out, it's raining
- Cállate, que no puedo pensar = Be quiet, I can't think
than (comparison)
Connects a comparison to what's being compared against. In English, "that" and "than" are almost the same word — they come from the same root. Spanish never bothered splitting them apart.
- Mi hermano es más alto que yo = My brother is taller than me
- Llegó más tarde que todos = He arrived later than everyone
(implicit command, wish, reaction)
The main verb is dropped from the front, like "[I want] that..." or "[let it be] that...", forming an implicit command or wish.
- ¡Que tengas buen viaje! = Have a good trip! ([I hope] that you have a good trip)
- ¡Que llueva! = Let it rain! ([let it be] that it rain)
el que, la que, los que, las que
the one that, the ones that, those that
Adding a definite article before que turns it into a noun — "that" becomes "the one that," something you can point at.
- El que llegó primero ganó = The one that arrived first won
- Los que no pagaron no pueden entrar = Those that didn't pay can't enter
lo que
what, that which, which (abstract)
Where el que points at a specific thing ("the one that"), lo que refers to something abstract or unnamed.
- No entiendo lo que dices = I don't understand what you're saying
- Valora lo que tienes = Value that which you have
- Llegó tarde, lo que me molestó = He arrived late, which bothered me
[verb] que [same verb]
[emphasis] (relentless repetition)
Repeating a verb with que in between emphasizes that something keeps happening without stopping. The que is still just connecting things — here it connects an action back to itself to convey relentless repetition.
- Dale que dale con el mismo tema = He goes on and on about the same topic
- Estudia que estudia y nunca sale = She studies and studies and never goes out